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Paralegals & Legal Assistants

Also called: Law Associate, Legal Assistant, Paralegal, Paralegal Specialist

Where in the military? In the military: see titles from the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, or Navy.

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What they do:
Assist lawyers by investigating facts, preparing legal documents, or researching legal precedent. Conduct research to support a legal proceeding, to formulate a defense, or to initiate legal action.
On the job, you would:
  • Prepare affidavits or other documents, such as legal correspondence, and organize and maintain documents in paper or electronic filing system.
  • Prepare legal documents, including briefs, pleadings, appeals, wills, contracts, and real estate closing statements.
  • Prepare for trial by performing tasks such as organizing exhibits.

Knowledge

Arts and Humanities
  • English language
Business
  • administrative services
  • customer service
Safety and Government
  • law and government
Engineering and Technology
  • computers and electronics

Skills

Basic Skills
  • reading work related information
  • listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions
Problem Solving
  • noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it

Abilities

Verbal
  • read and understand what is written
  • communicate by speaking
Ideas and Logic
  • notice when problems happen
  • make general rules or come up with answers from lots of detailed information

Personality

People interested in this work like activities that include data, detail, and regular routines.
They do well at jobs that need:
  • Attention to Detail
  • Integrity
  • Dependability
  • Initiative
  • Cooperation
  • Adaptability/Flexibility

Technology

You might use software like this on the job:

Document management software
  • Adobe Systems Adobe Acrobat Hot Technology
  • Document management system software
Word processing software
  • Google Docs Hot Technology
  • Microsoft Word Hot Technology In Demand
Information retrieval or search software
  • LexisNexis
  • Thomson CompuMark SAEGIS

Education

Education: (rated 3 of 5)
associate's degree or
bachelor's degree
usually needed

Get started on your career:

Find Training Find Certifications Find Licenses Apprenticeship.gov

Job Outlook

Bright Outlook
New job opportunities are very likely in the future.
Salary
$56,230
$36,410
$88,640
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See more details at O*NET OnLine about paralegals and legal assistants.